Coil assembling apparatus



June 13, 1967 D. E. HILL 3,324,536

COIL ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Filed May 5, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 13,1967 D. E. HILL COIL ASSEMBLING APPARATUS 4 SheetsSheet 2 Filed May 5,1965 June 113, W67 0. E. HILL 3,

COIL ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Filed May 5, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I as June13, Wfi? D. E. HILL 3,324,536

COIL ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Filed May 5, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 3,324,536COIL ASSEMBMNG APPARATUS Donald E. Hill, 522 Sandy Ann Lane, Fort Wayne,Ind. 46807 Filed May 3, 1965, Ser. No. 452,732 '7 Claims. (Cl. 29--2ti5)This invention relates to coil placing or assembling apparatus, and moreparticularly to apparatus for placing or assembling prewound coils andstrips of insulation in the slots of a stator.

The invention may be regarded as an improvement upon the apparatus shownin US. Patent No. 2,432,267, among the several objects of the inventionbeing noted the provision of improved apparatus of the class describedfor placing prewound coils and strips of insulation (the lattersometimes being referred to as bore wedges) in the slots of stators ofelectric motors, alternators or the like, in efiicient and consistentmanner; the provision of apparatus of this class adapted for readyadjustment of parts and for easy assembly and disassem-bly; and theprovision of apparatus of this class permitting various wedge assemblypatterns. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and inpart pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafterdescribed, the scope of the invention being indicated in the followingclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possibleembodiments of the invention is illustrated,

FIG. 1 is a side elevation with parts broken away and shown in sectionof a coil placing apparatus of this invention adapted for incorporationin a complete coil placing machine;

FlG. 2 is a plan of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 33 of FIG. 1, with partsfurther broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 4 is a view on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 showing prewound coils and astator in position ready for placing of the coils by the apparatus inthe slots of the stator;

FIGS. 5-7 are diagrammatic illustrations depicting the functioning ofthe operating members of the apparatus at successive stages in theplacing of prewound coils on a stator;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged longitudinal section of part of the apparatusshown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 9 is a transverse section taken substantially on line 99 of FIG. 8.

Corresponding reference characters indicate correspondiug partsthroughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring first more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 8, a coil placing orassembling apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention isshown to comprise a plate 1 adapted to be removably mounted in positionwithin an opening 3 in a panel 5 of a cabinet which houses certainoperating mechanism which may be used in conjunction with the apparatusof this invention. Plate 1 has a peripheral flange 7 which is receivedin a recess 9* around the opening 3, and is removably secured to thepanel 5 as by screws ill. While the panel 5 and plate 1 are shown ashorizontal in FIGS. 1 and 5, typically they will be inclined to face theoperator of the apparatus. Extending up from the plate 1 are a pluralityof fingers 13 adapted for placement thereon of a stator S (see FIG. 4)of an electric motor or the like which is to have a plurality of groupsG of prewound coils C placed therein, which coils are to constitute thestator winding. As will be understood, such stators conventionally havea circular bore B and axial slots A located in radial planes extendingout from the bore for receiving the side portions (such as indicated atC1) of the coils. The teeth of the stator which dgi'izifidfi PatentedJune 13, 1967 define the slots are designated T. As shown by way ofexample in FIG. 4, there are twenty-four such stator teeth, andtwenty-four stator slots. The inner edges of the teeth are generallyfiat. In such case, twenty-four fingers are provided, in a circulararray corresponding to the circular array of the stator teeth. Theradially outer face of each finger is grooved as indicated at 13a (seeparticularly FIG. 9) for reception of the radially inner ends of thestator teeth, with a close sliding fit. The fingers are tapered in crosssection and have rounded radially inner faces 13b.

Extending lengthwise of each finger 13 on the outside thereof is a bar15 (there being twenty-four such bars, one for each finger). These bars,which terminate short of the upper ends of the fingers, are hereinafterreferred to as wedge guide members, having grooves 17 in their sidefaces providing guides for bore wedges to be inserted in the slots of astator over the side portions of the coils C, as will appear. The wedgeguide members 17 are seated in the grooves of the fingers. The apparatusalso includes a stripper 19 of cylindrical shape with a rounded nose.The periphery of the stripper is axially fluted for a sliding fit withthe fingers 13 internally of the fingers, and includes radiallyprojecting ribs 21 which lie between the fingers (see FIG. 7) fordriving the coils into the stator slots.

The operations performed by the apparatus, as distinguished from themeans which provide these operations, can be understood with referenceto FIGS. 4-7. Initially, the prewound coils C, which may be suitablyinterconnected, are placed over the fingers 13 in an array correspondingto the desired winding pattern as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. A stator S isthen placed over the fingers with one finger being aligned with eachstator tooth. One end of the stator engages the upper ends of the wedgeguide members 15 so that the inner ends of the stator slots are inalignment with the wedge guides provided by the members 15. During coilplacing, the stator S is held in position by a suitable clamp (notshown).

To place the coils C in the stator S, the stripper 19 is driven upward(forward) as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 so that the coils are strippedupwards over the fingers 13 and are slid into the respective statorslots. Simultaneously with the lifting of coils C by stripper l9,insulating Wedges 23 of generally U-shaped cross section are drivenupwardly between the wedge guide members 15 by a respective plurality ofwedge push rods 2.5 into the inner ends of the stator slots. The wedges23 tend to confine and protect the placed coils 19. Each wedge consists,for example, of a length of dielectric material, such as Mylar, formedto U-shape in cross section.

Referring again to FIG. 1 and also to FIG. 3, the mounting plate 1 has apair of sockets 31 extending downward (rearward) therefrom. These arebraced by Webs 33. Mounted in each of the sockets 31 is a guide rod 35which extends downwardly from plate 1. A carriage 37 is slidable onguide rods 35 toward and from plate 1. Mounted on the upper (forward)face of carriage 37 is a disk 39. Clamped to the periphery of disk 39 ina circular array are the lower ends of the wedge push rods 25 whoseoperation was briefly described previously. The ends of these rods arekeyed to the disk as indicated at 41 are clamped thereto by a band 43.Carriage 37 also carries a tubular ram 45 which extends upwardly(forwardly) toward plate 11.

Carriage 37 is secured to the upper end of piston rod R of a hydrauliccylinder (not shown) by means of which it may be moved up and down onguide rods 35. The wedge push rods 25 slide in a plate 47 at the lowerends of sockets 31 and which has a plurality of openings 49 for guidingthe wedge push rods. The plate 1 also has openings 51 through which thepush rods 25 can pass to ap- 3 proach a stator positioned on the upperends of the fingers 13.

Mounted centrally in plate 1 is a tubular spindle 55 which projects onboth sides of plate 1. The spindle 55 has a shoulder engaging the lowerface of plate 1 and is secured to plate 1 by a nut 57 threaded on thespindle engaging the upper face of plate 1. Journalled on the lower endof spindle 55 by means of a pair of bearings 59 is a cylindrical wedgemagazine 61. This magazine is formed around its periphery with a seriesof longitudinal slots 63 having narrow entrances 63a (see FIG. 3) forreceiving and holding wedges 23. As may be seen from FIG. 3, the side ofthe wedge magazine opposite the webs 33 is open so thatwedges can beloaded into the slots 63 from that side. The forming and loading ofwedges is preferably carried out automatically by suitable mechanismhoused in the aforesaid cabinet, which forms no part of the presentinvention and hence is not described further herein. It should be notedthat, typically, not all of the stator slots will have windings placedtherein so that preferably the loading of the magazine is done accordingto a predetermined program which places wedges only in those magazineslots corresponding to those slots of the stator which are to receivelegs of the coils. Attached to the upper end of magazine 61 is a ratchet65. A suitable indexing mechanism (not shown) operates on ratchet 65 forindexing magazine 61 so that the various wedge receiving slots 63 can beloaded in sequence. Latching of the magazine at the various loadingpositions is accomplished by a springloaded detent ball 69 whichoperates in cooperation with a plurality of conical depressions 71distributed around the upper surface of ratchet 65. Plate 47 isremovably held on the lower end of spindle 55 by a split ring 73received in a peripheral groove 74 on the spindle.

The upper end of spindle 55 carries an assembly 75 which includes thefingers 13 and wedge guide members 15. At the center of assembly 75 is acylindrical fiuted finger holder 77 which is journalled for rotationaround spindle 55 on upper and lower bearings 79 and 81. Finger holder77, being peripherally fluted, has a plurality of longitudinal grooves83 in which respective fingers 13 are received extending endwise of theholder. The lower end of the finger holder engages a shoulder 86 on thelower bearing 81, and the finger holder is removably retained on thespindle by a split ring 87 received in a peripheral groove 88 in thespindle adjacent its upper end. As stated previously, the radially innersurfaces of the fingers 13 are rounded at 13b to facilitate the slidingof the coils and the grooves 83 are shaped to mate closely with thefingers (FIG. 9).

As above described, the outwardly facing surfaces of the fingers 13 havethe longitudinal grooves 13a for receiving the respective wedge guidemembers 15. The side surfaces of the members have the grooves 17 sothat, between each pair of adjacent members 15, there is formed alongitudinal guide through which a wedge 23 can be driven. In FIG. 9,one such wedge is shown occupying its position between a pair of members15. A cylindrical housing 95 surrounds the arrayed fingers and wedgeguide members. Threaded in the peripheral wall of housing 95 inalignment with each wedge guide member 15 are two set screws 97 and 99.Tightening of the respective set screws removably clamps each fingerguide member pair between finger holder 77 and housing 95 and thuscombines these elements into a rigid body.

Also threaded in the peripheral wall of housing 95 at several pointsaround its circumference are taper-end screws 103. The inner ends 105 ofthe screws 103 are beveled to fit or wedge between adjacent guidemembers 15 to assure that the housing 95 and the wedge guide members 15and fingers 13 will rotate as a unit around spindle 55 and that therewill be no relative angular displacement.

The lower end of housing 95 is flanged as at 109 (FIG. 8) and a gear 111is secured to the flange 109. By means .4 of this gear, the assembly 75can be rotated around spindle 55 to Various positions by suitable means(not shown since not a part of the present invention) for facilitatingthe locating coils C on the fingers 13 preparatory to their being placedin a stator.

As noted previously, the carriage 37 which slides on the post carriestubular ram as well as the array of wedge push rods 25. The wedge pushrods 25 are slidable in openings 49 in the disk 47 while the ram 45slides within the central bore of the tubular spindle (FIG. 8). Thestripper 19 is attached by means of a threaded stud 119 to a hollow rod121 which extends down through the central bore of the spindle and fitsslidingly within the central bore of the ram 45. A bead chain 123 isattached to a cross-pin 125 at the lower end rod of 121. The other endof the chain 123 is secured to a cross-pin 127 in the ram 45 near itslower end (FIG. 1). A tubular spacer 129 of cross section substantiallythe same as that of ram 45, slides on rod 121 between the ram 45 and thestripper 19. Essentially, this arrangement establishes a lost motionconnection between the ram 45 and the stripper 19. As ram 45 is drivenupwardly (forward) by piston rod R, the stripper 19 will not be moveduntil the upper end of the ram comes up into engagement with thestripper. On the other hand, if the stripper is in a raised positionextending into the bore of a stator as the ram 45 is withdrawn, thestripper will not be pulled down until the slack is taken out of chain123.

Operation of the above-described coil placing apparat-us is as follows:

With the carriage 37 withdrawn so that the wedge push rods 25 arewithdrawn clear of the wedge magazine 61 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, thewedge magazine is rotated by means of the ratchet wheel for loading ofwedges 23 in appropriate wedge holding slots 63 in the magazine.Simultaneously or thereafter, prewound coils C are placed over thefingers 13 in the proper array, the finger and wedge guide assemblybeing rotated by means of gear 111 to facilitate the laying in of thecoils. Then a stator S is telescoped on the upper ends of the fingers 13with the teeth T of the stator in radial registry with the fingers 13,the stator being held in place by suitable clamp means (not shown).

Then, the carriage 37 is advanced (moved upward) by the piston rod R sothat the ram 45 and the wedge push rods 25 are driven upward. The wedgepush rods pass through the slots 63 in the wedge magazine 61 and pushupward the wedges which have been loaded in the magazine. Due to thelost motion between the ram 45 and the stripper 19, the stripper is notmoved until the wedges have moved well up into the finger and wedgeguide assembly '75 so that the wedges will be in a position to be driveninto the stator slots A just as the coils are slipped up over thefingers 13 and driven into the slots by the stripper 19. The amount oflost motion in the connection between the ram 45 and the stripper 19 canbe adjusted by appropriately preselecting the length of the tubularspacer 129. In this way the length of the stroke taken by stripper 19can be easily adjusted to accommodate stators of different axiallengths. As the stripper moves upward, its nose engages the upper endportions C2 of the coils placed on the fingers 13, and the stripperpushes the coils upward and causes the side portions C1 of each coil tobe laid within the respective slots A of the stator. The side portionsof the coils laid in the slots become covered by the U-section wedges23, which are driven into the slots adjacent the radially inner ends ofthe slots. Following the laying in of the coils, the carriage 37 isretracted (moved downward). This retracts the wedge push rods 25 and,after an interval of lost motion, also retracts the stripper 19.

It will be observed that the fingers 13 and wedge guide members 15 maybe readily adjusted up or down to accommodate stators of different stackheight simply by I! loosening the screws 97 and 99. Also, such fingersand Web guide members as may not be needed for operation on a particularcoil pattern in a particular stator may be readily extracted simply byloosening the screws. The entire assembly 75 may 'be readily assembledand disassembled, disassembly simply involving loosening the screws 97and 99 and removing the fingers 13 and members 15, the housing 95, thestripper 19, and snapping off the split ring 87.

Fingers 13 may be coated with an anti-friction material such as atetrafiuoroethylene polymer sold under the trade name Teflon by E. I. duPont de Nemours & Co. of Wilmington, Del.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantages results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for placing prewound coils and wedges in the slots of astator comprising:

a hollow cylindrical finger holder having in its periphery a series oflongitudinal grooves;

an annular series of fingers around said holder, each finger beingreceived in one of said grooves, said fingers extending forward out ofthe grooves and projecting beyond one end of said holder for placementthereon of prewound coils and a stator with the pole faces of the statorengaging the outer faces of the fingers;

a series of wedge guide members, one for each of said fingers, eachwedge guide member extending lengthwise over a respective finger on theoutside thereof and terminating short of the forward end of the fingerleaving room for a stator;

a hollow cylindrical housing surrounding the wedge guide members;

screws threaded in the housing engaging the wedge guide members forclamping the wedge guide members against the fingers and for clampingthe fingers in place in the grooves of the finger holder;

stripper means axially slidable within the annular series of fingerswhere the fingers project beyond said holder for driving coils over saidfingers and into the slots of the stator; and

means for driving wedges from between said wedge guide members intostator slots for retaining coils so placed.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim ll wherein said fingers are coatedwith a tetrafluoroethylene polymer.

3. Apparatus for placing prewound coils and wedges in the slots of astator comprising:

a mounting plate;

a tubular spindle fixedly mounted in said plate extend ing through ahole in the plate, said spindle having a forward end portion extendingforward from one face of the plate and a rearward end portion extendingrearward from the other face of the plate;

a wedge magazine rotatable on the rearward end portion of the spindle atthe rear of said plate, said magazine having a series of longitudinalslots in its periphery for holding wedges to be driven into the slots ofa stator;

a carriage movable away from a retracted position in the directiontoward the rearward end of the spindle and back to retracted position;

means extending rearward from the plate for guiding the carriage;

a ram extending forward from the carriage into the spindle;

a series of Wedge push rods extending forward from the carriagesurrounding the ram and movable endwise through the slots of the wedgemagazine for driving wedges forward out of the slots, said plate havingopenings for passage of the wedges and wedge push rods;

a hollow cylindrical finger holder rotatable on the forward end portionof the spindle at the front of said plate, said finger holder having aseries of longitudinal grooves in its periphery;

an annular series of fingers around said holder, each finger beingreceived in one of said grooves on the finger holder, said fingersextending forward out of the grooves and projecting beyond the forwardend of said holder for placement thereon of prewound coils and a statorwith the pole faces of the stator engaging the outer faces of thefingers;

a series of wedge guide members, one for each of said fingers, eachwedge guide member extending length- Wise of a respective finger on theoutside thereof and terminating short of the forward end of the fingers;

a hollow cylindrical housing surrounding the wedge guide members;

screws threaded in the housing engaging the wedge guide members forclamping the wedge guide members against the fingers and for clampingthe fingers in place in the grooves of the finger holder; and

a stripper axially slidable within the annular series of fingers wherethe fingers project beyond said holder driven by said ram for movingcoils over said fingers and into the slots of a stator.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising means establishinga lost motion connection between said ram and said stripper.

5. Apparatus for placing prewound coils and wedges in the slots of astator comprising:

a mounting plate;

a tubular spindle fixedly mounted in said plate extending through a holein the plate, said spindle having a forward end portion extendingforward from one face of the plate and a rearward end portion extendingrearward from the other face of the plate;

a wedge magazine rotatable on the rearward end portion of the spindle atthe rear of said plate, said magazine having a series of longitudinalslots in its periphery for holding wedges to be driven into the slots ofa stator;

a carriage movable away from a retracted position in the directiontoward the rearward end of the spindle and back to retracted position;

means extending rearward from the plate for guiding the carriage;

a tubular ram extending forward from the carriage into the spindle;

a series of wedge push rods extending forward from the carriagesurrounding the ram and movable endwise through the slots of the wedgemagazine for driving wedges forward out of the slots;

said plate having openings for passage of the wedges and wedge pushrods;

a hollow cylindrical finger holder rotatable on the forward end portionof the spindle at the front of said plate, said finger holder having aseries of longitudinal grooves in its periphery;

an annular series of fingers around said holder, each finger beingreceived in one of said grooves on the finger holder, said fingersextending forward out of the grooves and projecting beyond the forwardend of said holder for placement thereon of prewound coils and a statorwith the pole faces of the stator engaging the outer faces of thefingers;

a series of wedge guide members, one for each of said fingers, eachwedge guide member extending lengthwise of a respective finger on theoutside thereof and terminating short of the forward end of the fingers;a hollow cylindrical housing surrounding the wedge guide members; screwsthreaded in the housing engaging the wedge with the pole faces of thestator engaging the outer faces of the fingers;

a series of Wedge guide members, one for each of said fingers,each wedgeguide member extending lengthguide members for clamping the wedge guidernemwise over a respective finger on the outside thereof bers againstthe fingers and for clamping the fingers and terminating short of theforward end of the in place in the grooves of the finger holder; finger;

screws threaded into the housing preventing rotation a hollowcylindrical housing surrounding the wedge of the housing relative to thefinger holder; guide members; and

a stripper axially slidable within the annular series of 10 screwsthreaded in the housing and engaging the wedge fingers where the fingersproject beyond said holder, a rod extending rearward from said stripperand having a sliding fit in said tubular ram; and

a flexible member connecting said rod to said ram guide members forclamping the wedge guide members against the fingers and for clampingthe fingers in place in the grooves of the finger holder.

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 6 further comwh reby a lost motionconnection i t bli h d beprising a screw extending from said housingbetween adtw en id stripper d aid rain, jacent wedge guide members forpreventing relative rota- 6. A finger and wedge guide assembly for usein aption between the components of said assembly. paratus for placingprewound coils and wedges in the slots of the stator, said assemblycomprising:

a hollow cylindrical finger holder having in its periph References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS y a series of longitudinal grooves; 2,432,26712/1947 Adamson 29- 205 X an annular series of fingers around saidholder, each 2,873,514 2/1959 Mills 29205 finger being received in oneof said grooves, s i 2,873,515 2/1959 Winstrom 29-205 fingers extendingforward out of the grooves and projecting beyond the forward end of saidholder for JOHN CAMPBELL, P 0 Examinerplacement thereon of prewoundcoils and a stator THOMAS EAGER, Exmm'nen Disclaimer 3,324,536.-DonaldE. Hill, Fort Wayne, Ind. COIL ASSEMBLING AP- PARATUS. Patent dated June13, 1967. Disclaimer filed Jan. 16, 1970, by the inventor. Hereby entersthis disclaimer to claims 1-4 and 6 of said patent.

[Official Gazette April 14, 1970.]

1. APPARATUS FOR PLACING PREWOUND COILS AND WEDGES IN THE SLOTS OF ASTATOR COMPRISING: A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL FINGER HOLDER HAVING IN ITSPERIPHERY A SERIES OF LONGITUDINAL GROOVES; AN ANNULAR SERIES OF FINGERSAROUND SAID HOLDER, EACH FINGER BEING RECEIVED IN ONE OF SAID GROOVES,SAID FINGERS EXTENDING FORWARD OUT OF THE GROOVES, AND PROJECTING BEYONDONE END OF SAID HOLDER FOR PLACEMENT THEREON OF PREWOUND COILS AND ASTATOR WITH THE POLE FACES OF THE STATOR ENGAGING THE OUTER FACES OF THEFINGERS; A SERIES OF WEDGE GUIDE MEMBERS, ONE FOR EACH OF SAID FINGERS,EACH WEDGE GUIDE MEMBER EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OVER A RESPECTIVE FINGER ONTHE OUTSIDE THEREOF AND TERMINATING SHORT OF THE FORWARD END OF THEFINGER LEAVING ROOM FOR A STATOR; A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL HOUSINGSURROUNDING THE WEDGE GUIDE MEMBERS; SCREWS THREADED IN THE HOUSINGENGAGING THE WEDGE GUIDE MEMBERS FOR CLAMPING THE WEDGE GUIDE MEMBERSAGAINST THE FINGERS AND FOR CLAMPING THE FINGERS IN PLACE IN THE GROOVESOF THE FINGER HOLDERS; STRIPPER MEANS AXIALLY SLIABLE WITHIN THE ANNULARSERIES OF FINGERS WHERE THE FINGERS PROJECT BEYOND SAID HOLDER FORDRIVING COILS OVER SAID FINGERS AND INTO THE SLOTS OF THE STATOR; ANDMEANS FOR DRIVING WEDGES FROM BETWEEN SAID WEDGE GUIDE MEMBERS INTOSTATOR SLOTS FOR RETAINING COILS SO PLACED.